What the Chinese internet calls Trump: Boss, Emperor, king of knowledge, baby, Comrade Building the (Chinese) Nation
- The newest nickname for Donald Trump is ‘the king of knowledge’, coined after he got Covid-19 and said ‘Nobody knows the coronavirus better than me’
- Great Commander and Trump the Emperor signal his authoritarianism, while Comrade Building the Nation refers to his trade war helping China reform its economy
Four years of Donald Trump and Chinese internet users still don’t call the President of the United States by his official name. Instead, they have come up with a host of alternatives that are used on social media and in daily conversation. Perhaps his designated name, Te Lang Pu (特朗普), has too many strokes? Or maybe the nicknames are more suited to describe the person that he is (or isn’t)?
Here are the seven that are most popular among Chinese internet users.
Dong Wang 懂王
A direct reference to Trump’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, “Dong Wang” can be translated to “the king of knowledge”. This latest name was triggered by his claim that “Nobody knows the coronavirus better than me”, after he was reported to have been infected with the virus.
That prompted Chinese internet users to go through his past speeches. They found out Trump had claimed to be an expert on a wide array of topics: from windmills and technology, to architecture to ISIS (Islamic State).
